Orange woman leaps to death from Rainbow Bridge

Monday, May 4, around 1:17 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Rainbow Bridge in reference to a report of a vehicle that had been left on top of the bridge unoccupied. Upon arrival, deputies found the vehicle engine was running with no one around. After making contact with the registered owner of the vehicle who resides in the City of Orange, it was believed that the person operating the vehicle possibly jumped from the bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office continued the investigation by dispatching boats into the water for a search of the Neches River. Around 12:20 p.m., Deputies located a body that was floating on the shoreline about 300 yards south of the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The shallow water required use of the Sheriff’s Office airboat in order to recover the body. Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Judge Joy Dubose-Simonton arrived on scene and ordered an autopsy. The body was transported to the Jefferson County Morgue to determine the cause of death. It is believed that the body is that of 51 year old white female, Gwendolyn Myran, from Orange.